Innovative Macmillan and npower initiative wins major business charity award

28 May 2013

A joint initiative between Macmillan Cancer Support and energy supplier npower to help people affected by cancer take control of their fuel bills, has been recognised by the Third Sector Business Charity Awards.

The Fuel Management Programme won best single project for its efforts in helping npower customers living with cancer overcome fuel poverty. The programme was set up by npower and Macmillan in 2007, and to date 1,250 people have received support. An average debt of £240 per customer has been written off, and more than £1 million worth of funds has been unlocked for these individuals. Arranged payment plans have also helped to ensure that npower customers living with cancer spend no more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel bills.

The unique Fuel Management Programme ensures that Macmillan Cancer Support can refer npower customers who have been diagnosed with cancer through to special energy advisors, who will support them with their energy bills. To help meet this need, this year npower are also aiming to fund three new dedicated energy advisor posts and a team leader position at Macmillan to provide even more support for people living with cancer.

Anita Longley, Director of Corporate Responsibility at npower, said 'When we set up the Fuel Management Programme with Macmillan Cancer Support six years ago, we knew it was a great programme with huge potential to help customers who had been diagnosed with cancer and were struggling to pay their fuel bills. This is a fantastic achievement and is testament to the way we’ve worked in partnership with Macmillan to identify the most vulnerable and support our customers.'

Lynda Thomas, Director of Fundraising at Macmillan Cancer Support said 'It’s fantastic to see our partnership with npower recognised in this way. Winning a Business Charity Award is a brilliant indictment of the value of the work the Fuel Management Programme is doing for people affected by cancer.'

Notes to Editors:

• Macmillan Cancer Support has been npower’s charity partner since 2004 and the partnership is valued in excess of £6.4 million.

• Macmillan and npower have developed the npower Fuel Management Programme, to help people living with cancer manage their fuel bills more effectively.

• The programme provides support for people affected by cancer who are npower customers and are spending more than ten per cent of their income on fuel (and have limited savings).

• Customers can call the Macmillan helpline on 0808 808 00 00 to find out if they are eligible for the programme, which could reduce bills and provide assistance with arrears, as well as offer energy efficiency advice and a full benefits check.

• Third Sector Business Charity Awards recognise the outstanding contribution made by businesses in the UK to charities and good causes.

• The awards were judged by a panel of 30 experts from the charity and corporate sectors who came together in March to cast their votes. Competition for prizes was tough, with more than 80 businesses entering this year’s awards, including some of the best-known companies in the UK.

• Now in their fourth year, the awards have rapidly established themselves as a highly sought-after prize for companies supporting the work of charities. The winners were announced at a black-tie event hosted by BBC newsreader Huw Edwards at the Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane, London, on Monday 20 May.

About Macmillan Cancer Support

More than one in three of us will get cancer. For most of us it will be the toughest fight we ever face. And the feelings of isolation and loneliness that so many people experience make it even harder.

But you don’t have to go through it alone. The Macmillan team is with you every step of the way.

We are the nurses and therapists helping you through treatment. The experts on the end of the phone. The advisers telling you which benefits you’re entitled to. The volunteers giving you a hand with the everyday things. The campaigners improving cancer care. The community there for you online, any time. The supporters who make it all possible. Together, we are all Macmillan Cancer Support.

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Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UQ.